quarter hour

noun

1
: fifteen minutes
2
: any of the quarter points of an hour
3
: a unit of academic credit representing an hour of class (such as lecture class) or three hours of laboratory work each week for an academic quarter

Examples of quarter hour in a Sentence

Trains depart every quarter hour. I waited a quarter hour in line.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inauguration viewing peaked overall in the 12:15 p.m. Eastern quarter hour at 34.4 million, falling short of the 40 million viewers who watched Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris take the oath of office in 2021. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025 Viewership peaked in the 12:15 quarter hour, as Trump was giving his inaugural address. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quarter hour was circa 1597

Dictionary Entries Near quarter hour

Cite this Entry

“Quarter hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarter%20hour. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

quarter hour

noun
1
: any of the quarter points of an hour
2
: 15 minutes
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!